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International Coaching Week

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

International Coaching week started on Sunday. I was thinking about it this morning, remembering back in 2005 when I burned out on my well-paying management job. I understood the meaning of ‘going postal’, knowing that if I had to look forward to doing that work for the next ten or twenty years, I could have done bodily harm to a client!

Having no idea of what was on my career horizon, I gave a nine month notice to the board of directors, that I wouldn’t be renewing my contract at the end of the year. Now what? I prayed, asking God to show me how I could be of service to Him and to people, while still earning a decent living.

Within a few weeks of giving notice, one of my good friends sent me a link to a life coach’s website. I had never heard of coaching before, and figured it was probably one of those new-age California gimmicks. Lo and behold, that coach lived less than thirty minutes from me; could my quiet, little Brevard County, Florida be that progressive?
Lorraine Edey became my coach, introducing me to the exciting world of coaching. I took the prescribed classes and soon was working with clients of my own.

“What are your goals?” Coach Lorraine queried during one of our sessions. I shared that I always wanted to write a book. I soon discovered that if I waited for inspiration, that book would remain a figment of my imagination. Coach Lorraine inspired me to develop an action plan, and take the steps to putting that book on the market. It took a year, but soon I was signing copies of Trust God and Buy Broccoli, A Spiritual Approach to Weight Loss. My dream became a goal, because I spent the money on me, to hire a coach and take some action!

During this week, International Coaching Week, I challenge you to really think about your dreams and what you might do to make them a reality. Go visit the International Coach Federation or World Coach Institute’s Website and pick someone who resonates with you. Check out their website. Send them an email and ask for a complimentary session. Don’t go to your grave with dreams that never materialized because you didn’t know how to get them off the ground.

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Who Are Your Heroes?

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Remember Sully Sullenberger?

He’s the pilot who miraculously landed a jet on the Hudson River without losing one of his 155 passengers. He was ranked second in TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009. When asked about his biggest accomplishment, Sully didn’t cite the landing; he said, “Our daughters.”

In 2010, Sully interviewed another hero – Chief Master Sergeant Tony Travis, who created a makeshift control ‘tower’, where planes could bring sorely needed supplies into the earthquake ravaged Haiti. Water and supplies insured survival for thousands of Haitians. Bet you never heard of Sergeant Tony Travis! He’s an unsung hero.

There are many unknown heroes, but you rarely hear about the boy scout who helps an old lady get across the road these days. I went hero-hunting on the internet and found a bunch of people that I not only I didn’t know, but also wasn’t significantly impacted by their heroics. This lead me to wonder about who my heroes are. I have a few and want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank you.” I’d much rather write about them, than people I don’t know.

I was first introduced to Ann Lamott when a friend sent me a copy of her book, Traveling Mercies.  It was at a time when I felt like my life was spiritual, but I didn’t necessarily worship in community. I developed a curiosity about possibly returning to church but even better, I loved her style of writing. It was more like somebody talking; it was kind of like how I talked and it birthed an ‘ah-ha’ moment for me – I could also write a book! And I did! So, thank you Ann! I’m one of the people who’ve you’ve impacted.

In 2005, burned out by 25 years of managing communities, I prayed for an angel who’d help me figure out what I could do with my life, and was introduced to Coach Lorraine Edey.who walked with me while I turned dreams into goals and finally  become a life coach and motivational speaker! She helped me with the business side of becoming a coach and when I inadvertently shared that I always wanted to write a book, encouraged and supported me until the boxes of Trust God and Buy Broccoli arrived on my doorstep. Lorraine held my intentions to become a spiritual coach; I believe that I wouldn’t be the intuitive coach that I am today without her intercession. Thank you, Coach Lorraine for your impact on my life.

Perhaps there’s some heroes in your life too, that you’ve just never really thought about how they changed your direction or assured you on your present path. Why not take a moment today to thank them?

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You Can Make A Difference …

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You can make a difference.

My friend Sean Anderson has lost 275 lbs, the right way – reducing calories and increasing exercise. It didn’t happen overnight. He didn’t make People Magazine’s annual “Half Their Size” issue. But he’s helping a lot of people. Sean has blogged for nearly all of the three years of his weight loss journey. He’s created some unique tools for himself, such as the “Steel Curtain Zone,” the “Calorie Bank and Trust.” In his journal today, he relates how the Rachel Ray show sought him out and then turned down an opportunity to have him on their show. Their loss.

So, Sean won’t be a celebrity this week. Instead of being a guest on the Rachel Ray show, he’s busy helping people, one at a time, to experience a shift in their thinking toward healthy weight. He writes, “My goal has never been fame and fortune. My goal is very simple: Reach as many people as I can with my experience and to communicate it in such a fashion, that somehow, maybe, just maybe…it’ll make an impact, shift someone’s perspective—the tiniest amount, but enough to help them facilitate their own “click.” Because I’ve found a sweet freedom and it would be selfish of me to keep it to myself.” I feel the same way about helping people to find a spiritual approach to living, one person at a time.

There are some great spiritual people out there – Joel Olsteen and Wayne Dyer, people who really affect the masses. There are also weight loss heroes who will make the People magazine special issue. And then there are the little nobodies like Sean Anderson and me. I wake up every day and ask God to show me how to be of service to Him and to those around me. The opportunities are often subtle and if I’m not on my game, I’ll miss them. Sean touches thousands daily with his 3,406 friends on facebook, and counting! And he’s captured his dynamic story in his recently released book, Transformation Road.

This morning I got up and made two pots of coffee – a decaf and a regular. My husband’s brother is visiting for a few days. He likes the high test, so I dig out my second pot and fix some regular for him and decaf for me. It’s the little things like that which make me feel good about myself. It’s a small spiritual moment and my brother-in-law doesn’t even know that he contributed. It can be that simple. It doesn’t have to be People Magazine or the Rachel Ray show. It can be a friend, a spouse, a co-worker, a sister or a stranger.

Can you make a difference today?

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“When I lose weight, I’m going to …”

October 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

“When I lose weight, I’m going to ….”

“When I retire, I’m going to …”

“When  …. “

What am I waiting for?

I was in my late twenties when Elvis was playing at the Lakeland Civic Center, a short hour drive from where I lived. I loved Elvis, and thought that maybe the next time he played there, I’d go to see him. Well, there wasn’t a next time. Elvis died before I had a chance to see him perform on stage. It was too late; I waited too long.

That happened over thirty years ago, but it caused a shift in my thinking about things I wanted to do. In 1978, Tom Jones came to town and I went to see him, not once but twice!

In 1991, I was still rather obese, but wanted to learn to SCUBA dive. I guess I could have waited until I lost weight but what if I never did? I took lessons and became a certified SCUBA diver. It was difficult when I weighed over 250 lbs, requiring nearly a 40 lb weight belt to counter the buoyancy of all that fat. But under water, I was weightless! I am so glad that I didn’t wait. To experience drifting along a pristine coral reef and hear nothing but my own breathing remains one of the highlights of my memory!

After twenty-five years as a community association manager, I woke up one morning and knew it was time for a change. I knew that if I had to tell another person in a million-dollar house to clean their driveway, I would not do it in a pleasant manner. I talked with David and decided to give a nine month notice and find a new career.

What would I do? I prayed. I asked God to show me how I could be of maximum service to Him and still make a little money. After three months, a friend told me about Life Coaching, and I hired a coach to experience it for myself. I knew that this is exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my working career. Today I not only enjoy coaching but I also teach for World Coach Institute.

I always wanted to become a published author, but I never wrote anything! My wonderful coach, Lorraine Edey helped me to develop the discipline of writing and in less than a year, my first book, Trust God and Buy Broccoli, A Spiritual Approach to Weight Loss came off the presses! It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life, to hold that book in my hands. I was able to do a book signing at Barnes and Noble. It still thrills me to write on the inside cover for people who’ve bought my book. I’m so happy to be working with other aspiring authors today, to experience their excitement and joy of also becoming a published author!

So often, we wait for the perfect time to take a chance, and that time might never come. What  have you been dreaming about, but putting off for the perfect moment? Maybe it is right now. I encourage you to make it a goal. You know, a goal is nothing more than putting an action plan on your dreams. They can, and will come to fruition.

Don’t wait.

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